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William Harkin
Commodore William "Bill" Harkin Sr, also known as the Greyhound, is the lieutenant of the Commander in the TSC. Originally a Major in the Enclave military, he and his troops defected over irreconcileable differences with Colonel Augustus Autumn and his illogical and "extreme" methods. Harkin's company attempted to join the Brotherhood of Steel, and do some good, but they were treated as hostiles and chased away from the Citadel. He and his subordinates took refuge at Tricell Chemicals Inc., where the Lone Wanderer discovered them. The Lone Wanderer offered Harkin a chance to go to Mothership Zeta as a refuge and as a start of a new frontier for mankind. And so the Terran Starship Command was born. Background Harkin was an enthusiastic officer in the Enclave, fully enamoured of the Enclave's cause, willing to sacrifice anything for it. One day, however, he was sent on a mission to the Bright Dawn research base, one of the Enclave's most secret and largest civilan science facilities. Harkin said the personnel there were researching some kind of biological weapon. Apparently, the facility had ceased contact with the Enclave, so Harkin, along with a large contingent of soldiers, was sent to investigate. The facility was populated by research personnel, a standard security force, and a large number of civilians. Harkin estimates there were three to four hundred people in residence. Upon arrival, Harkin and his soldiers discovered that the facility had betrayed them and made contact with the Brotherhood of Steel. Brotherhood forces were already on their way to take control of the base. Because of this, the Enclave ordered Harkin to destroy the base, claiming that the secrets of Bright Dawn had to be protected no matter what, even if it meant killing innocent people. Harkin fulfilled the orders with maximum efficiency. When they were done, the facility was a smoking pile of ruins, with corpses everywhere. "Men, women... and children", as described by Harkin's words. Harkin remembers a child with a gun pointed to his head crying for his mother and then being shot. Harkin says that it changed him forever. The Crimson Rose led the Brotherhood forces sent to occupy Bright Dawn, but when they arrived, they found only a graveyard. Because Harkin had killed over four hundred civilians, he was labeled a war criminal; the fact that most of the occupants were scientists made it even more hideous to the Brotherhood. Harkin regrets what happened that day, and says that William Harkin died that day, and that all that was left when the dust settled and the screams stopped was the Greyhound. He is "painfully aware" that torturing himself about what could have been won't change what happened. When spoken to by the Commander, he is at first still resentful of what happened, but he can be convinced to use their memory to fuel his determination to fulfill his duty to build a better world in their name. Executive Officer After accepting the Lone Wanderer's offer of a refuge from the Enclave, William Harkin settled into his chosen role as executive officer and second in command of the TSC. He handles the mundane part of administration in the new military, allowing the Commander to focus on matters of grand strategy. He has become a source of contact between the Grand Admiral and the rest of the organization, keeping his superior up to date on new developments. Harkin has also taken it upon himself to advise the young Commander as best he can, even if his counsel is sometimes ignored. As a member of the Starship Council, Harkin has a voice in the final decision-making of the TSC. Notes * It is revealed by Archangel (Schmidt) that not even the Enclavist Harkin would have destroyed Bright Dawn, and that he wasn't even there with the Enclave forces when they received the order to destroy the base. * Two notable people within the base was the head researcher, Samantha, and a boy named William Harkin, Junior. It is revealed by Archangel that this was his wife and son. When Harkin said that "William Harkin died that day," he was actually referring to his son. Trivia * The child with a gun pointed to his head is speculated to be his son and the mother he is crying out to is Harkin's wife. Category:Characters Category:TSC Category:TSC council